For virtually as long as there have been computers and electronic devices, various methods and apparatus have been created whereby sound may be created or manipulated by these means. Each successive improvement in electronic components, computing power or interface enhancement has resulted in an equally successive iteration of audio devices capable of various types of sound generation or manipulation.
Sound creation and manipulation began in the mainstream by utilizing electronic sound modification “boxes” in conjunction with instrument-created sound, such as “wah-wah” pedals and “voice boxes” for guitars. Following this, sound-creation devices began as simple electric pianos that became synthesizers in the 70's and 80's capable of generating or emulating sounds reminiscent of literally thousands of instruments, both real and imagined.
Subsequently, mixing devices capable of editing and manipulating (as well as outputting) multiple audio channels were used in conjunction with various effects to alter sounds in “post-production” and to provide “clean up” or embellishment of sounds after recording. Leaps forward in speaker technology have also propelled the use of stereo into “surround sound” while audio formats have gone from the analog format 8-track tapes and cassette tapes to digital formats such as Compact Discs to MP3 and DVD Audio.
The most recent major iteration has been the use of computers with sophisticated graphical user interfaces allowing literally infinite capability for sound manipulation. The use of these software products has provided further benefit to an individual user, providing the capability of thousands of dollars worth of studio equipment, musical instruments and even functionality previously unavailable on any studio equipment to be contained within a single software program residing on a digital computer.
However, in the prior art there has been a substantial limitation on the ability of these music-oriented sound software programs to subdivide individual tracks into smaller portions, then to edit those portions, including their time signatures, individually. There exists a further limitation in audio software whereby software, until now, has been incapable of selecting the loop playback of each track of an audio file independent of every other track. There further exists a limitation in the prior art whereby graphical, on-screen “placement” of “drum machine” generated sound within a Dolby® 5.1 sound context, utilizing a Cartesian plane, has, as-of-yet, been impossible through the use of software.